Music: Brenda Russell/Allee Willis/Stephen Bray
Hey, sista, whatcha gon' do...?
Going down by the river gonna play with you
Papa don't like no screamin' 'round here
No lip from da woman when they chug that beer
You're all grown up and pretty now
It's time for you to get married
Have one good year before you get big
I can′t get married
I′m still in school
Who that man talkin' to pa?
Girl at church saying, he lookin' for a new wife take care of his mean chirren.
Well, I see where they get their mean from
Look at him!
Holding his whip like he got a horse waiting somewhere
You see any horse?
You don't wanna get married?
I wanna know how the world goes.
How far is the moon?
How the sky changes color?
Hope i find out soon.
What you want?
I wanna sit and do nothing.
Make you a new dress.
Hope my babies are happy,
Someplace god will bless.
Celie! Get to work!
Ain't no need to discuss.
It ain't worth a big fuss.
Whatever come to us
Is in god's hands.
When i lay me down to sleep,
I will say my prayer
That god love me so deep,
He will promise our souls to keep
Together.
I'll say a prayer.
Why you wanna know so much about tobacco?
I′m thinking 'bout planting it
You is not
Now, what you doing here?
I want to marry nettie.
She a sweet young girl.
She too young.
She's the cutest thing in this whole world.
She gonna be a teacher.
Picture me in a schoolhouse
With my college degree.
I could teach all my children
To spell tennessee.
You can have celie, though. She too old to be livin' at home.
Maybe i'll have a garden
Where birds come to sing.
Know a finch from a sparrow,
Fix a broken wing.
I wanna hear your birds sing.
Wanna hear your school bell ring.
No matter what life bring,
Us in god's hands.
Whyn't you quit comin' 'round here and just go marry your shug avery?
Shug avery
Who shug avery?
Shug avery!
She mister ol' girlfriend.
Shug avery not a child-raisin' woman, you know that. She the queen honeybee.
She a low-down ho, is what everybody say.
You lookin' for a new shug avery, you better go to memphis. All we got here is one pretty gal you can't never have, and one ugly gal that work like a man. I-i-i-i
I-i-i-i really want that girl.
I told you no!
When i---------i wanna
Lay me down to---------marry
Sleep,---------nettie.
I will---------she a
Say my prayer---------sweet young girl.
That god love
Me---------she the
So deep,---------sweetest thing
He will---------in this
Promise---------whole
Our souls---------wide world.
To keep together.---------I-i-i-i
I'll say a prayer---------i really want that girl.
You want any kids?
Someday, i guess.
I know you do
Doctor say I can′t have no more kids
So I think God just want me to take care of you
We'll live in big houses.
Put swings in the trees.
Braid up your gray hair
In the cool of the breeze.
And one day
Our children will sing -
When i lay me down to sleep,
I will say my prayer
That god love me so deep,
He will promise our souls to keep
Together.
I'll say a prayer.
I'll say our prayer.